What have you done to your car today?

[STC_Zed]

As a reward for not causing me any issues after fitting new DISA valves, I fitted a new Alcantara handbrake gaiter and elbow rest.

IMG_9588.jpeg

Much better than the shiny, worn old leather one.

Looks great! Seat leather in good condition too.

Thanks. The drivers seat needs a bit of love again this year; the nappa leather seems to suffer from dye transfer more than any other leather I’ve had in the past.

 

[STC_Zed]

First ever maintenance job on the Z4M today. Swapped out 2 failed horns for 2 replacements. First time jacking this car up and it feels like it is soooo high in order to get the jack stands under. Next job will be sorting a leak in the headlight washer pump or its pipes.

It does feel like they need to go really high to get the stands under them.

 

[Mr Tidy]

First ever maintenance job on the Z4M today. Swapped out 2 failed horns for 2 replacements. First time jacking this car up and it feels like it is soooo high in order to get the jack stands under. Next job will be sorting a leak in the headlight washer pump or its pipes.

Well done on getting the horns replaced. The actual headlamp washers tend to be the most common source of leaks, so you might need to remove the arch liners again for access.

After having leaks from them twice I ended up disconnecting them and blocking the pipe from the washer pump as pre-2009 cars don't need them for the MOT!

 

[STC_Zed]

First ever maintenance job on the Z4M today. Swapped out 2 failed horns for 2 replacements. First time jacking this car up and it feels like it is soooo high in order to get the jack stands under. Next job will be sorting a leak in the headlight washer pump or its pipes.

Well done on getting the horns replaced. The actual headlamp washers tend to be the most common source of leaks, so you might need to remove the arch liners again for access.

After having leaks from them twice I ended up disconnecting them and blocking the pipe from the washer pump as pre-2009 cars don't need them for the MOT!

I removed all of the pipe work and popped in a washer bottle from a car that didn’t have them. The leaking nozzles are there but have been coded out.

 

[BumpyZ4]

Flipped the headlight gaskets between the left and right headlight rear covers. Hopefully the gaskets will last another 22 years!

 

[Robster68]

Finally managed to fit rear bumper with parking sensors bought 2 years ago from umfaan,turned out to be plug and play,no coding necessary.

 

[Gebbly]

Thanks for the helpful tips [ref]Mr Tidy[/ref] and [ref]STC_Zed[/ref] I'll bear in mind the disconnection option.

 

[Mr Tidy]

If you can solve the leaks removing Fuse 40 will stop the headlight washers working. That's what I did the first time, but when I got another leaking washer jet I went for the disconnection option as it happened a week before I was going on a trip to Scotland last October and wanted fluid to stay in the reservoir so the screen washers would work!

 

[Gebbly]

If you can solve the leaks

I'm not sure what the problem is yet. The service report from RBM said "Headlight washer pump leaking as pipe not connected". I'll see if I can figure out which pipe. I'll also ring RBM and see if they could give me more info.

 

[Mr Tidy]

You should be able to see the two pumps in the reservoir and whether one of them doesn't have a pipe connected to it. The headlamp washer pump has a short length of pipe that goes to a "T" piece behind the grille and then there are two pipes that go off to each of the headlamp washers.

Anyway I took mine for an MOT today and it passed with no advisories for the 6th time running. So I came home the long way to find a clear stretch of road for some higher revving entertainment.

 

[caius]

Replaced the battery in the 3.0si yesterday, the old one either got too old and started dying or I've killed it with something draining it, or some combination of the two. Bored of jump starting it, so a replacement was in order.

Fitted an Exide Premium EA900 90Ah 720A from ebay. Car starts more urgently, and has not yet left me stranded. Fingers crossed.

 

[Fred Smith]

If you can solve the leaks

I'm not sure what the problem is yet. The service report from RBM said "Headlight washer pump leaking as pipe not connected". I'll see if I can figure out which pipe. I'll also ring RBM and see if they could give me more info.

Echo Mr Tidy.

It should be a simple job. I can't entirely recall where I did it, but to -

(1) Headlight washers not compulsory in 2006 (my car)
(2) Headlight washers are unnecessary from a practical point of view, and spray the bonnet unnecessarily
(3) A pipe descends from windscreen washer tank and splits to the two washers. Disconnect once (before the pipe splits) or twice (after), then cap it off with a bolt to block the pipe, plus a hose clip to secure tightly.

If I was buying a new Z4 my dream would be for the car to come with two working washers (in case whoever I sell it to wants them) but already disconnected and capped off because I don't want them connected and leaking or going wrong, and I don;t want to use them!

 

[STC_Zed]

If you can solve the leaks

I'm not sure what the problem is yet. The service report from RBM said "Headlight washer pump leaking as pipe not connected". I'll see if I can figure out which pipe. I'll also ring RBM and see if they could give me more info.

Echo Mr Tidy.

It should be a simple job. I can't entirely recall where I did it, but to -

(1) Headlight washers not compulsory in 2006 (my car)
(2) Headlight washers are unnecessary from a practical point of view, and spray the bonnet unnecessarily
(3) A pipe descends from windscreen washer tank and splits to the two washers. Disconnect once (before the pipe splits) or twice (after), then cap it off with a bolt to block the pipe, plus a hose clip to secure tightly.

If I was buying a new Z4 my dream would be for the car to come with two working washers (in case whoever I sell it to wants them) but already disconnected and capped off because I don't want them connected and leaking or going wrong, and I don;t want to use them!

Yup, easy to remove. I hate them as well because of the mess they make for what I can see, little or no benefit. The washer bottle I bought from a car with no headlight washers was a tenner on eBay.

 

[Fred Smith]

Yup, easy to remove. I hate them as well because of the mess they make for what I can see, little or no benefit. The washer bottle I bought from a car with no headlight washers was a tenner on eBay.

My option was much cheaper. Hose clips from a massive variety multi-pack I bought years ago! Bolts pulled out of a box of random bolts I've accumulated over the years! And easier to swap back if necessary!

Nothing wrong with your option of course.

 

[caius]

The chatter about headlight washers reminded me the 3.0si has leaked all the washer fluid out, suspect the headlight washers at fault. Also don't like them when they actually activate too.

Unplugged the pump for the headlights and taped up/secured the plug in the engine bay. Filled with water, see how quickly that leaks out as to whether I need to bother plugging the pipe or not. Might attack that with the undertray off, don't fancy dropping the bumper if I don't have to.

 

[x-driver]

Did a general interior cleaning and conditioning.

 

[Mr Tidy]

Unplugged the pump for the headlights and taped up/secured the plug in the engine bay. Filled with water, see how quickly that leaks out as to whether I need to bother plugging the pipe or not. Might attack that with the undertray off, don't fancy dropping the bumper if I don't have to.

Ross at RBM took the front section of the wheel-arch liner out to get to my leaking headlamp washer - much safer than taking the bumper off and risking breaking those expensive clips!

 

[STC_Zed]

The chatter about headlight washers reminded me the 3.0si has leaked all the washer fluid out, suspect the headlight washers at fault. Also don't like them when they actually activate too.

Unplugged the pump for the headlights and taped up/secured the plug in the engine bay. Filled with water, see how quickly that leaks out as to whether I need to bother plugging the pipe or not. Might attack that with the undertray off, don't fancy dropping the bumper if I don't have to.

There’s plenty of room with the under tray or arch liners out especially if you’re looking to remove the hoses.

 

[Fred Smith]

Ross at RBM took the front section of the wheel-arch liner out to get to my leaking headlamp washer - much safer than taking the bumper off and risking breaking those expensive clips!

Out of curiousity... did you notice that my car doesn't have the clips? One broke when I took the bumper off, the other was already broken.

I should probably do something about it, but I think I've only got one bolt on the underside of the bumper as well - left the rest off in case I needed to take the bumper off again, but that was a long time ago!

 

[hollie040]

Did my first Z4 mod/upgrade today; fitted cup holders. It's the small things that make all the difference.